Cut the Strings
by Flash Foreward
Summary: When Tin-Tin starts acting strangely and International Rescue learns the Hood has escaped, it's a race against time to find him and stop him before whatever he's doing to Tin-Tin becomes irreversible. Movie-verse.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** I know, short prologue is short. The chapters'll be a more average length - around 1,000 words at the shortest. I just have a thing for short prologues, heh.

**Cut the Strings**

**Prologue**

Patience was key in his line of work. Patience and planning. And he had a plan. Oh, did he have a plan. The first step was escape, of course. He could not do much in his current state of incarceration. But escape, he knew well, only took patience – perhaps a little more than most other things, but patience nonetheless.

Soon enough he would be free again and he could put his full plan into action. Until then, he would wait.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: **I know I got this chapter up pretty quick, and Chapter Two may get posted next week, but I just thought I'd make a note now that updates will probably be slow for a variety of reasons. Just a heads up there. Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Thunderbirds.

**Cut the Strings**

**Chapter One**

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I'm sure," Alan assured his father, crossing his arms over his chest. He still felt so defensive around his father, even though he was being allowed to work with International Rescue for the summer. Indeed, Alan and his father had just agreed it was about time for him to do his first month of solo-duty on Thunderbird Five after spending a week up there with John earlier in the summer.

Jeff Tracy nodded his head. "Why don't you go say goodbye. Scott will find you when it's time to go."

Alan nodded, trying to suppress a grin – he didn't want to seem _that_ excited. He left his father's office and hurried outside to the pool where Tin-Tin, Fermat, and Gordon were splashing around, enjoying the calm day.

Tin-Tin swam up to the side of the pool as Alan took a seat in one of the deck chairs. She propped her elbows on the pool-side, letting her legs float up behind her. "You leaving soon?" she asked.

Alan nodded. "As soon as Scott's ready we'll be heading out," he said.

"I suppose you expect some sort of goodbye?" Tin-Tin teased, slipping out of the pool and padding over to stand before Alan's seat. She loomed over him, her hands on her hips, waiting for his answer.

Alan shrugged, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. "Well, I _will_ be gone for a month," he said, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Tin-Tin smiled back, then she bent over at the waist and vigorously shook her head, sprinkling Alan with water.

"Hey!" Alan exclaimed, jumping up and stumbling back away from Tin-Tin. "I don't have time to change!" He was trying to sound indignant, but he couldn't keep the laughter out of his voice.

Tin-Tin laughed, too, a light, bright sound, and snatched up her towel from where it hung over one of the deck chairs. She quickly toweled herself off, then held open her arms. Alan hesitated, then he took a slow step forward and let Tin-Tin hug him, trying to ignore that he was getting even more wet this way. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, which was enough to distract him from the water, then pulled away. "Be careful," she said.

"I will," Alan replied, a little shocked at how serious this little moment had become. But then Tin-Tin swung her towel behind her and brought it forward quickly, whipping the air right in front of Alan. He jumped back and she laughed at his shock, then ran back towards the house, waving over her shoulder at him.

Alan smiled and shook his head. He was going to miss a lot of things while he was on the station, and Tin-Tin was pretty high on that list. He had hoped to have more time to figure out what exactly was going on between them, but working with his father and brothers had taken up most of his summer already and now he was going to be in space for a month. He watched as Tin-Tin disappeared into the house, but when Scott appeared at the door Alan was shaken out of his thoughts. It was time to go.

"You ready, kid?" Scott called.

"Yeah," Alan replied. He took another moment to look around, saying a silent goodbye to his home. He waved to Fermat and Gordon, then jogged into the house, following Scott to the chutes that would take them to Thunderbird Three. Brains, Virgil, and Jeff were there as well, talking over an upgrade Brains had just done on Thunderbird Two, but they paused in their discussion to say goodbye to Alan.

Alan would never admit it to anyone, but he was grateful they were there.

* * *

Tin-Tin was in the shower the first time it happened, washing off the sweat and chlorine from her time in the pool. She was humming to herself, as she stood under the hot spray, thinking about what she and Fermat could do during their month without Alan – they were planning on inventing something to surprise him with when he got back. Possibly something to make school more bearable, but more likely something more amusing.

She had started muttering the pros and cons of some of her favourite possibilities under her breath when a wave of dizziness swept over her. She reached her hand out, pressing her palm against the wall to steady herself. It passed quickly, but as it faded Tin-Tin heard a familiar voice whispering in the back of her mind: _Such raw power will do nicely_, it said.

Tin-Tin shuddered, a cold chill running through her despite the heat of the water.

* * *

John was ready and waiting when Thunderbird Three docked. Indeed, he was more than a bit anxious to get dirt side, so he didn't hide his happiness at seeing his youngest brother stride into the Monitor Room of Thunderbird Five. "Hey, Alan," he said, grabbing his suitcase and rising from his chair. "You sure you don't need me to go over things with you again?" he asked.

Alan smiled and shook his head. "Nope, Scott gave me the quiz on the way up," he said. "Apparently I passed."

"With flying colors," Scott said, emerging behind Alan. "Shall we load you up and help get the ship unpacked?"

"F-A-B, Scott," John said with a grin and a mock salute.

"I'm just gonna dump my suitcase in the living quarters," Alan said, nodding towards a door on the other side of the room. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Don't take too long, Kiddo," John said, patting Alan on the back as they passed. John and Scott stepped into the corridor leading to the docking back, with Scott a few steps ahead of John. "Do you think he's ready for this?" John asked after a few moments of silence.

Scott shrugged, then stopped and turned to face John. "We'll never know if we don't let him try," he said.

* * *

Tin-Tin didn't tell anyone about what had happened until late that night. She was scared and confused, but she wasn't sure anyone would believe her. She waited until she and Fermat were alone, sitting down at the beach, staring at the last remnants of a bonfire the Tracy siblings had built at John's request – something about seeing the night sky from a safer distance – when Tin-Tin finally felt comfortable bringing it up.

"D-do you know who's voice it was?" Fermat asked after she had told him what happened.

Tin-Tin shook her head. "It was vaguely familiar," she said, "but it felt like whoever it was was trying to disguise it."

"Y-you d-don't think it was The H-hood, do you?" Fermat asked.

"How could it be? He's locked up tight," Tin-Tin said. She looked away as she spoke, staring into the fire. She wanted so badly to believe the words she was saying, but she didn't know who else it could have been.

"We should t-tell Mr. Tracy," Fermat said in a quiet voice.

"No," Tin-Tin said, her fear making her voice jump higher. She paused and swallowed, trying to calm herself down. "Not yet. Not unless it happens again."

Fermat looked skeptical, but he agreed.


End file.
